Gas anchor



Patented ug. 28, 1928.,

y UNITED Ys'r-.aias

Cnfannnsn.` CARLSON, or Lone BEACH; Cnnrronnrn.

eAs ANCHOR.

Application filed April 28, 1926.

My invention relates to the art of pumping petroleum oil, and it re'latespartieularly to a novel gas anchor.

In the oil pumping industry an oil well pump is secured at the lower'end of a pump tubing near the bottom of a well. The pump` tubing extends upward through the well to the surface of the ground, and has a branch pipe extending from the top thereof by means of which oil isconveyed to a suitable storage or place of use. The plunger of the pump which is situated in a pump barrel is connected'to astring of sucker rods which lextends up through the pump tubing, being connected to a walking beam of the derriclr. The walking beam isactuated by operating mechanism andthe plunger of the pump is reciprocated through the string ofi sucler rods. Thepump barrel carries a standing valve and the pump plunger carries a working valve. During the up stroke of the plunger oil is drawn into the barrel, the standing valve being open during the down stroke of the plunger. y The standing valve closes and oil passes in the barrel from a position below the plunger to a position above the plunger, the working valve beingopen. Oil carries a certain amount of the free gas which if present in large quantities greatly reduces the capacity of thepump since it tends to collect in the pump between the working and standing valves. This gas then expands and compresses with each stroke of the plunger in lifting the working valve and in allowing the standing valve to lift. To effect a separation of the oil and gas at the lower end of the well so that only oil enters the pump, it is common practice to connect a gas anchor below the pump which gas anchor is for the purpose of-excluding gas from the pump7 thus permitting it tooperate at a higher eiiiciency than it would if the gas were not separated from the oil. i

It is an object of this invention to provide a gas anchor which isefricient in 'separating gas and oil and which consists of few rugged parts which are uniquely secured together.

Itis also an object of this invention to provide a gas anchor having a guide block at the lower end thereof for guiding it through the casing of the well when it is loweredv therein.

Another object of this invention is to provide a means for centralizing the upper ends of an inner and outer barrel of the'invention.

@ther obiects and advantages 'will be hereinafter.

Serial No. 105,073.

Referring to the drawing in which I illus- 'Y trate my invention,

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view showing a gas anchor of my invention attached to the lower end of a string of pump tubing below an oil well pump. Y

.Fig 2 is an enlarged partially sectioned and contracted view showing the gas anchor of this invention.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, this view showing the centralizing means of'my invention.

14 of the barrel of the pump 13is a nipplev 15. The-gas anchor of my invention is lsecured to the lower end of the nipple 15 and is represented by the numeral 18. Y

As shown clearly in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 the gas anchor 18 of my invention has an upper connector body 20 which is threaded at its upper end as indicated at 21, thus adapting it to Vbe secured to a sleeve 22 by means of which it is attached tothe nipple 15. The connector body 2O has' an opening 22 formed therethrough. An upper end 23 of an inner barrel 24 is threadedly secured in a threaded cavity 26 of the connector body 20. The lower end of the inner barrel` 24 is threadedly secured'in a cavity 28 of a guide plug 29 having a rounded nose 30, this guide plug 29 closing the lower end of the inner. barrel 24. A plurality of elongated openings 82 is cut in the barrel 24 near .the lowerv end thereof.

which elongated openings connect between` the interior and exterior ofthe inner barrel. An kouter barrel 34 isplaced concentrically :around the inner barrel A24 and an annular 39 of which engage. an inner face 40 ofthe outer barrel 34 in order to centraliz and ther-eef with respect to the;

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Referring to Fig. 1, seated in the lower collar 14 ofv the barrel of the pump 13, is a standing valve body 41 having a ball valve 42. Secured to the standing valve body 41 is an eduction tube 43 which extends downwardly through the nipple 15, the connector body 20 and into the inner barrel 24, terminating but a short distance above the lower end thereof as shown in Fig. 2. The nipple 15 and theconnector body 20 provide a gas collecting chamber 46. The connector body 20 is'providedv with a plurality of openings 47 which connectthe gas collecting chamber 46' with the exterior. of the connector body 20.

Oil in the well 12 in order to reach the pumpl' must 'pass upward around the exterior of the outer barrel 34 and then downward through the annular separating space 353-until it reaches the elongated openings 32. Thefpatho the oil is represented by arrows 49. The oil passes through the elongated openings 32, into the interior lof the inner v barrel 24. The oil passes upward through the interior of the inner barrel 24 and int-o the eduiction pipe 43 by means of which the oil is conducted to the pump 13. The oil flowsinto landthrough the gas anchoi` 18 duringfthe 11p/,stroke ofa plunger (not shown) of the pumpl which4 is, situated in the. barrel. There is a suction created at this time which openssthegstanding valve which unseats the ball 42 anddrawsfoil into thebarrel.

The separation ofthe gas and oil by my invention is accomplished' due to the fact that the oilin order to pass through the gas anchor must reverse its direction and pass downward atl the upper end of the outer barrel 34. If the-oil contains' gas the suctionv produced by the upstroke ofthe plunger in the barrel of the pump doesy not 'greatly affect the upward travel of the gas due tothe factY that it is so much lighter'thanthe oil,but itdoes affect thel passage ofthe oi-l,drawing it into and throughthe gas/zuichor.` f The gas carried in the oilvis not substantially reversed or drawn downward through the separating space. ish0wever,.a slight tendency fork smallbodies of gas to be drawn tothe lower end of the outer barrel 34Y and passh throughthe. openings 32this beingy because ofthe viscous nature of the oil. The gas however, soon reverses its direction due--to its lightness and travels upward inside the-inner barrel 24 into the gas collecting space 46. formed at the upper end ofthe gas anchor. Asthis'gas collectsinany quantity,v ity escapes from, the gas anchor through thev openings 47 formed'in the connector 20. In actual experience it has been found that practically none of the gas willV pass into the llower end of the eductionv tube 43.-

From. the foregoing description it will be kseen that. the. gas. anchor ofmy invention is very simple andi ruggedin design consisting of five parts, viz,.the connector. body 20, the

There inner barrel 24, the guide plug 29, the outer barrel 34, and the eduction tube '43. The guide plug of the invention is provided with a rounded nose 3() for the purpose of guiding it through the casing when it is being lowered tothe bottom of the well. Another utility of the plug 29 is that it serves as a. means for connecting the inner and outer barrels 24 and 34 together. This is a very simple arrangement of parts. The ui'iperfendof the barrels 24 and 34 are centralized by the novel and simple radial centralizing fins. One i1nportantV feature of the invention is that itis adapted to handle a large capacity of oil, be.;A ing capable of being run into small liners and obtaining results equivalent to big pipe.

`Irclaimv as my invention: Y -Y 1. In a gas anchor, the combination of: a tubular connector body adapted to be attached to a supporting member, said con-f' nector body providing a gas collecting cham-v ber, therebeing open-ings connecting said gas collecting chamber to the exterior; an inner barrel havingl its upper end secured tothelower end ot said connector body, there be-Y ing openings formed near `the lowerA end' of said inner barrel for connecting the exterior of said inner barrel with the interior thereof;

guide plug secured to thelower endet saidV inner barrel, said guide plug closing the lower end of said inner barrel;`an.outer barrel secured at its lower end to` said guide plug, said outer barrel l being concentrical around saidzinner. barrel, there being an an-V nular separating space formed between said inner and saidY outer barrels, the upper end of' said outer barrel terminating below saidY connector; centralizing fins formed near the' upperv end of said inner barrel, said centraliz ing {ins-being arranged to engagek an inner faceV of said outer barrel; and an edu'ction'` tube extended through saidmember, said conf nector, into said inner barrel.

2. In agas anchor,thecombinationof: a

tubular connector body adapted to be at tached to al supporting member, said con-- nector body providing a gas-collecting chamber, there being openingsconnectingsaid gas collecting chamber to the exterior; an inner barrel having its` upper end secured to the lili lower end of said vconnectorbody,there b'e-y v Y ing elongated openings formednear the lowerl end of said inner barrel for connecting the exterior of said inner barrel with the interiorthereof; a round: nose guide plug having va cavity in which alower end ofsaid innervbar rel is secured, said-guide plug,l closing the lower end of said inner barrel;` anouter barrel securedat its lower end to said guide plug, said outer barrel being eon'centricalV around said inner barrel, there beingan annular separating` space ormedl between said inner and said outer barrels, the upper end of said annular separating space being in full communication with the exterior; radially en tending centralizing fins formed near the upper end of said inner barrel, said centralizing fins being arranged vto engage an inner face of said outer barrel; and an eduetion tube extended through said member, said connector, into said inner barrel.

3. In a gas anchor of the class described, the combination of: an inner tube closed at the lower end thereof; an outer tube supported at its lower end by and surrounding said inner tube, said outer tube being closed at the lower end and having its upper end throughout its circumference spaced from andvfree from contact with said inner tube to provide an unrestricted annular inlet, there being ak space formed between said inner and outer tubes, and there being means connecting said space to the interiorof said inner tube; an eduction tube extending to a point near the lower end of said inner tube; and means for centralizing the upper end of said outer tube.

4.' In a gas anchor of the class described, the combination of: an inner tube closed at the lower end thereof; an outer tube surrounding said inner tube, said outer tube being closed at the lower end and open at the upper end, there being a space formed between said inner and outer tubes, and there being means Connecting said space to the interior of said inner tube; an eduction tube extending to a point near the lower end of said inner tube; and means in said space for breaking up emulsion.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set nayv hand at Los Angeles, California, this 22nd day of April, 1926.

, CHARLES A. CARLSON. 

